1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rotary engines including those with adiabatic operation capability.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior Art falls into two categories: Reciprocating Engines and Rotary Engines.
1. Reciprocating Engines are limited in a number of ways:
a. The torque output is low due to the crankshaft arrangement.
b. The crankshaft usually fixes the compression ratio.
c. The compression stroke usually equals the expansion stroke.
d. If the engine is not cooled externally (as in an Adiabatic Engine) the very hot piston and combustion chamber repels the air intake action.
e. The intake and exhaust valves volumetrically limit the piston speed.
f. The reciprocating action limits the speed of the engine.
g. There are many moving parts.
h. The reciprocating parts are more difficult to make of ceramic material.
2. Rotary engines are limited in a number of ways:
a. There is usually one reciprocating part, which limits the speed of the engine.
b. There is usually a balancing problem.
c. The combustible mixture is usually not injected directly into the compression chamber. The compressed gas is usually routed to the combustion chamber with an associated loss in entropy. In other words, their compression was not adiabatic but allowed opportunities to lose heat in the process.
d. Sealing has been a problem
This invention was designed initially to be used as an adiabatic (no external cooling) engine. The complete rotary design facilitates making the components of ceramic materials. This way the engine can run as hot as necessary (over 2000 deg F.) being cooled only by the intake and exhaust gases. Ceramics can withstand high temperatures and have excellent wear characteristics and low coefficients of friction. However, the engine does not need to be made of ceramic materials and operational benefits inherent in the design will make this a useful engine with conventional cooling. The engine consists of a housing with a circular cavity in it for a power piston(s) and a flywheel to rotate. The power piston(s) extends radially from the flywheel. In one version the flywheel and power piston(s) have gear teeth that engage gear teeth in an abutment disc. The power piston appears like raised gear teeth on the flywheel. The abutment disc is connected to a compression piston rotor. The power piston(s) and flywheel turn synchronously with the abutment disc and compression piston rotor. (whether internally synchronized or externally synchronized). The compression piston rotor contains cavities to house the compression pistons. The compression pistons and compression piston rotor rotate about separate axes and the compression pistons move in and out in the rotor cavity with respect to the outside diameter of the compression piston rotor as they both rotate. A compression piston stator seals off the top of the compression piston rotor causing the compression pistons to compress a charge of gas to be delivered on top of the power piston. Delivery to the top of the power piston allows for high compressions to be achieved. The fuel can be premixed with the air or injected separately. The combustion chamber is ignited either by a spark or by high temperatures of compression and the expanding gases force the power piston around the housing producing work. The distance the power piston travels before the gas is relieved is variable so as to be able to extract all the useful work out of the expansion cycle at various power settings. The previous products of combustion are forced out the exhaust system in front of the power piston. The sealing of the compression piston and compression piston rotor is accomplished by continuously wiping the compression piston rotor with a seal and making sure the compression piston is at the same outer diameter with the compression piston rotor at the point of seal contact. Other seals can be added as necessary. At slow speeds more sealing is necessary. At higher speeds (near the speed of sound), only close tolerances are necessary to prevent excessive leaks.
It is an object of this invention to provide a totally rotary engine more conducive to construction with ceramic materials. It is an object to construct major components of this invention with ceramic materials. This allows for higher temperature operation and increased efficiency. It is an object of this invention to provide a design more conducive to the use of solid lubricants. It is an object of this invention to separate the compression apparatus from the power producing apparatus so the intake can run cooler and not inhibit the intake system. This is important in an engine that will not have an external cooling system (An Adiabatic Engine). It is an object of this invention to have a power stroke independent of the compression stroke to get more useful work out of the fuel. It is an object of this invention to have a variable compression stroke. It is an object of this invention to have a variable expansion stroke. It is an object of this invention to have an engine not volumetrically limited by valves. It is an object of this invention to have an engine with fewer moving parts. It is an object of this invention to have an engine with less internal friction. It is an object of this invention to have an engine capable of high speeds. It is an object of this invention to have a balanced engine. It is an object of this invention to have a rotary engine with a nearly adiabatic compression cycle with the injection of the compressed gases directly into the combustion chamber. It is an object of this invention to be able to seal the rotary engine adequately. It is an object of this invention to provide an engine that can be made with conventional materials, with conventional lubrication, and with conventional cooling. It is an object of this invention to provide a more powerful engine per unit weight. It is an object of this invention to provide an engine with high torque. The normal automobile transmission could be eliminated with the amount of torque available from this engine. It is an object of this invention to provide an engine with much less friction and eliminate the need for conventional lubrication of wiped surfaces
Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.